Wake-up Call

I really should know better. I have been a Christian for over four decades. In that time I have had some amazing encounters with God. Promptings from the Holy Spirit that I have followed have led to people coming to Christ, successful ministries started, rescue from what would have been bad situations, etc. He has proven himself trustworthy time and time again, yet I still blow it far too many times when it comes to listening and obeying.

Case in point: I woke up suddenly this morning at 5:56 with the thought that my wife's alarm was not set for 6:30. No problem, I rationalized (big mistake!); if the alarm wasn't set I would just ask God to wake me up in another thirty minutes. Surely He would do such a little thing for me. After all, he loves us, and that way I wouldn't have to get out of bed and check the clock.

You can probably guess what happened. At 7:06 my wife sat bolt upright in bed and realized she was running late. And I, her supposedly loving husband, realized that by ignoring the Holy Spirit's quiet reminder that I was as responsible for her predicament as she was. Yes, she had neglected to set the alarm, but I had ignored my own wake-up call from God to help her out. So rather than having the satisfaction of knowing I had obeyed and ministered to my wife, instead I found myself apologizing both to her and to God. Aaargh!

As Christians we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, a supernatural link to the all-knowing Father. If that is not mind-blowing enough, the fact that He cares for us so much that He will prompt our hearts in the day-to-day little things as well as the larger issues should really cause our jaws to drop. He wants to lead us in the path that is best for us, every step of the way; we just have to be willing to listen and then follow.

So what is the moral of today's post? I guess it might be that in life you might not always remember details like setting your alarm clock, but you better not forget to pay close attention to God's wake-up calls.

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